Battery-terminal spreader and lifter



J. E. O'TOOI -E 1,708,848 BATTERY TERMINAL SPREADER AND LIFTER I A ril 9 1929,

Filed June 4, 1923 Patented ii, 19259..

UNITE STATES JAMES EDWARD OTOOLE, OF UTICA, NEW YORK.

BATTERY-TERIJIINAL SPREADER AND LIFTER.

Application 'filed June 4,

llfly present invention relates to a battery terminal spreader and lifter.

The purpose of this invention is to provide a battery terminal spreader and lifter of new, convenient and effective form and particularly a tool that can be readily and easily operated with one hand.

A. further purpose is to provide a tool of the class described of the crossed and pivoted connected members or plier type with one of the jaws of said tool provided with a vertically arranged projection or two spaced proj ections, said projections being wedge shaped in horizontal section and adapted to enter between and force apart the split ends of the terminal when the aws of the tool are forced together; and further to provide the other jaw of said tool with a long part adapted to reach over the top of the terminaland then having a down-turned heel: to engage the solid side of the terminal so that when the two jaws are forced together the split end is opened without strain upon the post or damage to any other part of the battery.

A further purpose is to provide a tool of the general construction mentioned having the jaw carrying the wedge projections also provided with an inturned book which passes below the split end of the terminal to prevent the tool slipping off the terminal at the beginning of the operation but with said hook afterwards coming into operation towarrs the close of the spreading operation so as to slightly lift that end of the terminal after its split ends have been separated.

Further purposes of the inventionare to provide a battery terminal lifter and spreader of the general type suggested and so constructed as to readily engage the terminal in anyposition of the terminal upon the battery and adapted to reach the battery whether it is under the floor boards or the splash pan of an autonmbile and further to have the parts of such form, construction and combination as to easily exert the required pressure upon the wedges to open the split end of the terminal no matter how badly corroded or frozen to the post the tern'iinal may be.

hurther purposes and advantages of the invention will appear from the specification and claims herein.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a tool embodying this invention with the parts shown in position upon a terminal with the parts of the tool and the parts of the terminal in allow the operator 1928. Serial No. 282,538.

the relative position they occupy when the toolis first applied to a closed terminal.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of thejaws, pivotal portions and lower part of the handles of the tool, with the terminal shown in dotted lines in its initial position.

ig. 3 is a horizontal sectional. view on line 3-3 of Fig. 2 as applied to a battery terminal, but with the parts of the tool and. the terminal 111 the relative position they occupy after the aws of the tool have been contracted and the split ends of the terminal.

opened.

Fig. d is a vertical sectional view of the tool on line l-4 of 2.

Fig. 5 is a side view similar to Fit". 2 but with the jaws closed and with the t drminal shown in dash lines in its final opened and lifted position.

Referring to the drawings in a more particular description it will he seen that the battery terminal spreader and lifter consists of two main members 7 and 8 crossing each other and connected to and pivoted upon each other by the pivot 9. Above the pivot 9 the portions of each member extend upwardly forming long strong handles 10 and 11 for the members 7 and 8 respectively, said handles being of sufficient length to secure the desired leverage when the tool is operated bv one hand. Preferablythe handle 11 about half way up in its length will be bent towards the handle 10 so as to be about parallel thereto as suggested in 1 in order to more readily to hold and operate the tool.

The member 7 has its central or pivoting portion 12 arranged about horizontally while the pivoting portion 13 of the other member 8 is normally close to an upright or vertical position. The horizontal part 12 of the memher 7 extents forwardly or to the left as the parts are seen in Figs. 1 and 2 in a relativelv long horizontal. jaw portion 14; extending over the top of the battery terminal 15 and towards the end of the jaw is provided with a downturned inwardly slanting hook 16 to engage the curved side of the solid portion 17 of the battery terminal.

It will be understood that the battery terminal 15 is of the general type clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 3 and consists of the rigid or solid portion 17 provided with an aperture 18 to receive the battery cable 19 to one side of the post 20 of the battery. Around the post split ends 22 edit ted to be brought together more or less close y so as to contract the collar 21 upon the post by means of the usual tightening bolt 23 and nut 24. This type of battery terminal provides the desired intimate contact of the collar 21. with the battery post 20 but requires considerable care and heretofore has required a more or less elaborate implement in order to spread the split ends 22 of the terminal to loosen the terminal from the battery withont injuring the post or other parts of the battery.

From the pivoting portion 13 of the memberS there projects downwardly a relatively short jaw 25 having towards its lower end an inwardly curved hook 26. Upon the forward -face of this jaw there are provided two spaced wedge shaped projections 27 having the thin edges 28 thereof vertically arranged and in alignment and adapted to enter between split ends 22 ofthe terminal and force said split ends apart. Figs. 1 and 2 show the general oonstruction and arrangement of these wedge shaped projections and the sectional view of the upper wedge27 and its j aw 25 in Fig. 3 clearly show the shape and approximate propor'tion of these projections relative to the jaw and the manner in which the contraction of the'jaws of the tool force thesplitends 22 apart. Preferably the wedge shaped parts are formed as two spaced wedges as clearly indicated in Fig. '2, the opening 29 between said two wedges being really an interruption midway the vertical height of the wedge shaped part considered as a unit. This opening or interruption '29 is provided opposite the terminal bolt 23 so that if as often happens the terminal bolt has not been removed but simply its nut loosened, the tool can stillbei operated upon the terminal by the upper wedge projection-27 passing above the bollt and the lower projection passing below the bolt. I As the split ends of the collar portion 21 are opened it will be obvious that the circle of the collar 21 is spread out and so a large part of its inner face will be separated from the now smaller circle of the post 20 as clearly shown in Fig. 3. This opening: of the terminal disengages the terminal from much the larger portion of the circumference of the post 20. Some pontionof the post and the collar may still be in intimate contact,

usually such portion being the part of the collar away from the split ends 22. To loosen up this :flat and corroded engagement instead of encircling engagement I provide means upon the tool which will operate to give a slight lifting action upon the terminal towards the end of the "contraction of the jaws and atterthesplit ends have been well opened so that the lifting action may be effected. This lifting action is accomplished by "means of the intumed book 26 upon the jaws towards each other the forward concave face 30 of the hook will engage the lower outer curved portions 31 of the split ends 22 with a camming action and gradually lift this end of the terminal a little. This lifting; action by the concave face 30 of the hook 25 is clearly seen from a comparison of Figs. 2 and 5. In Fig. 2 the jaws are shown in the opened position with the terminal shown in dotted lines just lwrrinnin; to be engaged by the wedge shaped projections 27. In Fig. 5 the jaws have been moved to their closed or contracted position and the spread ends 22 of the split collar 21 have been opened, as plainly shown in Fig. 3 by the wedge projections and the lower outer rounded portion of the parts 22 by engagement with the cam faces 30 have bodily lifted the right-hand end of the terminal a little so that the upper wedge is almost entirely between the parts 22 while the lower wedge has its lower part below the terminal. A very slight amount of lifting action upon the right-hand end of the terminal is sufficient to loosen the inner part of the collar 21 from its engagement with the adjacentsurface of the post 20. As during the whole operation of spreading the terminal and also during this lifting opcraiton, the book 16 on the jaw 1i securely engages the outer curved part of the solid portion 17 of the terminal, no lateral movementor strain is placed upon the post 20 or the battery therebolow. It will be noted particularly that the book 20 has a concave'face fitting the engaged surface of the solid portion 17 of the terminal so that the slicrht lifting or swinging upwardly of the split ends of the terminal is not interfered with since the rounded part of said solid portion 17 of the terminal can move readily in the concave seat of the book 16.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1.. A battery terminal spreader and litter consisting of two crossed and pivotally connected members. the long upwardly extending ends of, which form handles. the ja w portion of one member having a loo; horizontal part adapted to go over the too of the tor minal and having a downwardly extending! inturncd hook to engage the solid side of the terminal and the jaw of the other member having a wedge shaped projection lmv inzr its thin edge vertically arranged and adapted to enter between and force apart the split ends of the terminal. said second jaw having an intnrned hook at its lower end adapted to engage with an upward camming action the lower side of the split ends of the terminal.

2. A batterv terminal spreader consisting of two cromed and pivotally connected memhers, the long upwardly extending ends of which form handles, the jaw portion of one member having a long horizontal part adapted to go over the top of the terminal and having a downwardly extending int-nrned hook to engage the solid side of the terminal and the jaw of the other member having a pair of spaced wedge-shaped projections having their thin edges vertically arranged and adapted to enter between and force apart the split ends of the terminal.

3. A battery terminal spreader and litter consisting of two crossed and pivotally connected members, the long upwardly extending ends of which form handles, the jaw portion of one member having a long horizontal part adapted to go over the top of the terminal and having a downwardly extending inturned hook to engage the solid side of the terminal and the jaw of the other member having a pair of spaced wedge Shaped projections having their thin edges vertically arranged and adapted to enter between and force apart the split ends of the terminal, said second jaw having an inturned hook at its lower end adapted to engage with an up ward oamming acton the lower side of the split ends of the terminal.

In Witness whereof I have allixed my signature, this 22nd day of May, 1928.

JAMES EDWARD OTOOLE. 

